Cirrus@Austlit

'It's build-up time in the north-western town of Ransom, just before the big wet, when people go off the rails.

'In the midst of a bitter custody battle, an eight year old girl goes missing.

'Annie, an anthropology graduate fresh from the city, is determined to uncover the mystery of the child's disappearance.

'As Annie searches for the truth beneath the township's wild speculations, she finds herself increasingly drawn towards Mick Hooper, a muscly, seemingly laid-back bloke with secrets of his own.' (From the publisher's website.)